Antifriction bearing for drill pipes



April 29, 1930.

H. HOLDAWAY ANTIFRICTION BEARING' FOR DRILL PIPES Filed Deo. 27, 192e 2 sneetsfsneet 1 d M A TToH/'lf.

Plil 29, 1930- H. H, HoLDAwAY 1,756,195

ANTIFRICTION BEARING FOR DRILL PIPES Filed Dec, 27, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 l i. 'g' l /A e5 6666 67 Y ATTORNEY Patented Apr.V 29, 19.30

UNITED-STATES PATENT oFFlcE HALL E. HOLDAWAY, F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BYRON JACKSON CO., 0F WEST BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ANTIFRIC'IION BEARING FOR DRILL PIPES Application led December 27, 1926. Serial No. 157.231.

My 'invention relatesto well drilling equipment, and relates particularly to anti-friction bearing for drill pipe.

In the oil producing industry it is common practice to use rotary equipment which employs a rotary bit for sinking the hole. This rotary bit is attached to" the lower endof a string Aof drill pipe which extends upward through the Well to a point above the surface of the ground. The drill pipe is rotated by means of a rotary machine located on the floor of a derrick of the well. The drill pipe consists of stands of pipe which are connected together by tool joints. Each stand of pipe is about eighty feet long and consists of four lengths of pipe which are attached together by ordinary sleeve couplings. When the drill pipe is withdrawn from the well it is broken at the tool joints. Wells are most always.

crooked and for this reason the drill pipe, usxually the tool-joint portions thereof, will engage fone side of the w-ell casing which is installed in the well.. The friction between the drill pipe and the well casing causes both of them to wear. The greatest damage is done to the well casing. and very often a hole is worn therein which will permit 'water to enter the well. This is very detrimental to the well since the'water may mix with the oill and ditficultto discover`water leaks and many cases are knownl Where the well has been.

abandoned because the operators could not find wherethe water entered.

It is an object of this invention to provide an anti-friction bearing which may be placed on the drill pipe at various places, at the well,.

form the objectionable emulsion. It is ,very' Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic `view illustrating the utility of the invention.

Fig. 2 Ais an elevational view of my invention in section and applied to a drill pipe.

lFig. 3 is an elevational view taken as indicated by the arrow 3 of Fig. 2, this view being tp'artly sectioned.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section -showing the means which permits the installation of balls of the bearing.

Fig. is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 5, but showing-an insert of the invention ,in place.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the insert.

Figf..8 is an elevational View, partly-secfl tioned, of another form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the utility of the in .the upper part of the well 1l. The well 11,..

as is quite common in the oil producing industry, is crooked sqthat the drill pipe would ordinarily engage the well casing 19. In

stalled on the different stands of drill pipe 17 are anti-friction 'bearings 20 of the invention which prevent the drill pipe/from engaging the well casing sothat neither of these parts will be worn, all friction being takenby the anti-friction bearings 20 of my invention.

The details of one form of, my invention are yillustrated in Figs. 2 tof? inclusive. to which figures reference will now be had. l

The'invention has an inner race 25 which lis adaptedto be placed around the drill pipe 13. The inner race 25 is formed from two parts 26 which are slightly less than semicylindrical. Edges 27 of the parts 26 engage each other,` whereas, on the opposite side;

i edges 28 are spaced apart so as to provide an vided With semi-cylindrical insert channels- 34 which align with the channels 31 of the inner race 25, thus providing continuous ball channels for bearing balls 35 which operate therein. The insert 33 is, provided with openings 36 at opposite ends thereof' through which the screws extend so that the insert' is clamped tothe parts 26.

Surrounding the inner race 25 is an outer one-piece race 39 which is provided with outer ball' channels 40 which align with the inner ball channels 31. The outer race 39, as illustrated in Fig. 6, is provided with an axial groove 42 whlch is connected to the upper end thereof and which connects 'to each of the outer ball channels 40.

The anti-friction bearing is particularly designed so thatthe parts may be easily assembled, this assembly being as follows:

The parts 26 ofthe inner race 25 are placed around the drill pipe in the desired position, and thescrews 30 are placed only at the side opposite from the groove 29. The other screws are not placed at this time. The outer diameter of the inner race 25 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the tool joint"18. This permits the internal diameter of the outer race 39 to be made large enough so that it can be extended over the tool joint 45, so that the cross-section of the opening provided by the grooves 42 and 29 will receivethe balls 35. The balls 35 are then -dropped into the upper end of the opening provided by these channels and they fall downward therethrough, filling the various inner and outer channels 31 and 40. In case any ofthe balls tend to stick in the grooves they may be forced into the channels by a slight rotation of the outer bearing member 39. After the balls have been assembled the insert 33 is installed in the inner groove 29 as illustrated in the detail of Fig. 6. The remaining two screws 30 are then screwed into place so that these two sides of the inner race 25 and the insert 33 are secured rigidly to the drill pipe. This completes .the assembly, and

`the bearing is now ready for operation. When the Ibearing of the invention is in the Well and in the position indicated in Fig. 1 incontact with the well casing, theouter race engages the well casing andremains substantially stationary. The inner race rotates inside the outer race and the frictional contact between vthe races is taken by the bearing balls 35. I have found that my invention will prevent the Well casing from being perforated by frictional engagement/ of the drill pipe with it. Not only will'there be no wear on the Well casing but there will be no Wear on p 7the drill pipe itself.'

One important feature of the bearing is that it may be assembled after the stands of drill pipe have been assembled at the well. This isa desirable feature and makes it very convenient to replace worn bearings or. to readj ust the bearings when desired. The construction of the outer and inner grooves 42 Vand 29 and the insert 33 is 'an important part j of the' invention inasmuch as it permits an leasy assembly of the bearing..

In Fig.8 and Fig. 9 I show an alternative through ball entrances 66 formed in the outer race 61 in alignment with the outer channels l63. After the balls have been assembled,

plugs 67 are placed in thex ball entrances 66 and are secpred in place as by Welding indicated at 68. This form of the invention is likewise very easy to assemble and may be installed on the drill pipe at the well after the drill pipe has beenlassembled.

I claim as my invention;

l. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: an inner race `having' a, number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe and having a groove connected to all of said ball channels; anouter race adapted to surround said inner race, said outer race havingball channels arranged to align with said ball channels of said inner race, and said outer race having a groove connectedito all of said ball chan-- nels of said outer race; balls in said ball channels, said balls being inserted through said grooves when they are aligned; and an insert for filling one of said grooves.

2. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: an inner race having a number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe and having a groove connected to all of said ball channels; an outerrace adapted to surround said inner race, said outer race having ball channels armuseumsy ing one of said grooves, saidiinsert having in# sert channels adapted to align With said ball channels.

3. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: an, inner race having a number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe and having a groove connected to all of said ball channels; an outer race adapted to surround said inner race, said outer race having ball channels arranged to align with said ball chan-nels of said inner race, and said outer race having a groove connected to all of s'aid ball channels of said outer race; balls in said ball channels, said balls being inserted through said grooves When they are aligned; and an insert for fill-v ing said groove ofv said inner race.

4. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: an inner race having a number of ball channels, said inner race being v adapted to surround a drill pipe and having a groove connected to all of said ball channels; an outer race adapted to surround said inner race, said outer race having ball channels arranged to align with said ball channels of said inner race, and said outer race having a groove connected to all of said ball channels of said outer race; balls in said ball channels, said balls being inserted through said grooves when they are aligned; and an insert for lilling said groove of said inner race, said insert having insert channels adapted to align with said ball channels.

5. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: an innerrace havingy a number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe, said inner race being made in two parts, said parts not contacting along one `edge, thus forming a groove connected to all of said ball channels; an outer race adapted to surround said inner race, said outer race having ball channels arranged to align with Said ball Channels of saidvinner race, and said outer race having4 a groove connected I to all of said ball channels of said outer race; ballsin said ball channels, said balls being inserted through said grooves when they are aligned;

'and an insert for filling one of said grooves.

6. In an anti-friction bearing for drill pipe, the combination of: anv inner race having a number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe, said inner race being made in two parts, said parts not contacting along one edge, thus forming a groove connectedto all of said ball channels;

.v an outer race adapted to surround said in i' ner race, said outer vrace having ball channels arranged to align with said ball channels of lwhich the outer part of said said inner race, and said outer race having a groove connected to all of said ballchannels of said outer race; balls in said ball channels, said balls being inserted through said grooves When they 4are aligned; and an insert for filling one of said grooves, said insert having insert channels adapted to align `with said ball channels.

7. In an anti-friction bearing for drillpipe, the combination of: an inner race hay- 'ing a number of ball channels, said inner race being adapted to surround a drill pipe, said inner race being made in two parts, said parts not contacting along one edge, thus forming a groove connected to all of said ball channels; an outer race adapted to surround` Said inner race, said outer race having ball channels arranged to align With said-ball channels of said inner race, and said outer race having a groove connected to all of said ball channels of said outer race; balls in said ball channels, saidballs being Iinserted through said grooves when they are aligned; and an insert for filling said groove of said inner race.

8. A combination as-defined in claim 1 in inner race is diverged.

groove of saidr 9. An anti-friction bearing for protecting a Well casing from a rotary string, compriss ing an inner race adapted to surround the string and provided with circumferential ball channels, an outer race adapted to surround the inner race and provided with ball channels positioned to align with the vball channels of the inner race, the outer race being sufhciently smaller than the interior of the Well casing to provide for the free passage of the flushing water and the detritus, each of the races provided with a groove connected to all of the ball channels thereof, balls in the channels, said balls being inserted through Said grooves When they are aligned, land an insert lfor filling one of said grooves.

'10. An anti-friction bearing for protecting a Well casing from a rotary string, comprising an inner race adapted to surround the string and provided with circumferential ball channels, an outer race adapted to surround the inner race and provided with ball channels positioned to align with the ball channels of the inner race, the outer race being sufficiently smaller than the interior of the Well casing to provide for the passage ofthe flushing Water and the detrltus, the races providing between them a ball-,inducting opening communicating with all of the ball channels, balls in the channels, said balls being inserted through said opening, and an insert in the opening to prevent the balls 'discharging therefrom, l p

In testimony-whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at LosAngeles, California, this 17th day of December, 1926.

- HALL H. HOLDAWAY. 

